Ofelia
by Artemisdesari
Summary: I had to do it. Crossover with Pan's Labyrinth, one shot. Rated to be safe.


Ofelia

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, nor do I own Pan's Labyrinth. I don't have that kind of talent.**_

_Ok, so having finished my last fic, I still can't get into the one I'm supposed to be finishing. This one came to me courtesy of silver.shadow.23 so I dedicate it to you, silver, in all your glorious randomness . To be fair, though, I'm sort of surprised that this hasn't been done sooner. This takes place just after Captain Vidal has cornered Ofelia in the Faun's Labyrinth and left her to die, as Mercedes finds her. If you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth, do, it's amazing! R&R, let me know what you think!_

Drip, drip, drip.

Jareth felt the drops of blood strike the stone floor at the centre of the Faun's labyrinth as if they had struck him. He shuddered at the feel of it, the way it called to some primal instinct within him to come, the way that a wish never could. He hesitated for just a moment, just long enough to be certain that it was the blood of self sacrifice and not that of a new born, unsuspecting innocent, to weak to defend themselves. Yet the blood was full of innocence, restrained, youthful innocence, all at once new, but in the same breath old as time. The essence of the blood was familiar, it called into his soul.

"He did it!" He muttered, surprised. "The old fool actually did it!"

Drip, drip, drip.

More drops hit the stone floor, sending pain shooting through him. This was not blood given freely, this was not a willing sacrifice. This was the very blood that made the girl's life. This blood awakened the old power of the Aboveground labyrinth and Jareth teleported up with disturbing ease.

Even though he had never watched Ofelia, never looked in on her as he had with other dreamers, he knew her. He would have known her if he were blind, even though she had been hidden from his sight for so long. This was the Princess, the High King's long lost daughter. The implications were huge.

With a gesture a crystal orb came to his finger tips and he dropped it gently beside Ofelia, such a common name for the Princess Moanna, and the sobbing woman who the dying girl in her arms. He felt a shock as he recognised her, older certainly, but he knew her all the same, Mercedes, a lost dreamer and a woman who had once run his Labyrinth as a child, tried and failed, but she was a believer all the same. The crystal shattered into glittering shards as it hit the stone and Ofelia's human body shimmered for a moment, before it vanished and was replaced by nothing more than a glamoured doll, one that would display all of the traits of the dying girl. It cut at his heart to do this to a dreamer, lost or otherwise, a woman so blinded by her grief that she could not see him, but it was necessary. He could feel the Faun near by, even as the voice of his healer informed him that he had treated the girl's injuries, thanked the moon that the body had been mortal and thus resilient to the effects of iron, the Princess would be on her way to be with her parents.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Faun watched from the shadows, seeing the blood drip on the floor once, twice, three times. They stopped for a moment and the ancient Faun trembled as the ground shuddered, the portal by the stone jerking open. Ofelia was meant to be here, with her brother in her arms, blood flowing from a wound that could, and would, kill her if untreated, yet superficial enough for her to pass through the gateway unaided, even though she had not correctly completed the tasks. Time had run out on them.

He sighed, the High King had wanted her to complete the tasks as a way of her showing that she was worthy of reentering the Underground and becoming queen in her own right. He had not wanted to allow any other option because that would have put her into Jareth's circle of influence and there was no denying that the Goblin King was dangerous, especially if he had the future High Queen under his control. Yet the Goblin King _had_ been forced to relinquish his control of the Aboveground labyrinths so that the High King could use them as watching places, so that the guardians he placed there would be able to lure the girl in and allow her to return to them. Needless to say, Jareth had been furious at the restrictions on his power.

Drip, drip, drip.

Now, Ofelia was dying and the ancient Faun knew he had no other choice, there would not be another chance to reclaim the Princess Moanna after this night, her death here, in this way, would forever destroy her soul. He had to take the risk.

"I wish..." he muttered softly, hesitating before finding the strength to say the words. "I wish the Goblin King..."

"I have already done it, Faun," the gnarled creature turned to see Jareth leant against the slimy wall, elegant and beautiful, the dirt did not seem to touch him. More blood dripped and he flinched a little with every drop. "She is safe. Did you really think I would not notice a death within the walls of one of my own labyrinths?" The Faun shook his head, Jareth had just confirmed what he had always suspected, he had never cut his links with the ancient stone structures. Belatedly, he bowed as Jareth scowled at him, watching as the Goblin King finally let out a sigh and stood, turning to touch the decaying wall fondly.

"I remember when these walls shone with magic, so bright that even a mortal could see it for what it was." The dull stone started to glow under his touch. "Now only the blood of a dying princess can activate it.

"She has been admitted to the Great Hall, invited to be with her parents," his lips twisted a little wryly, "our parents, they will want us both there. Go, I will follow you shortly." The Faun bowed once more and folded into the wall.

As eager as Jareth was to reunite with the reborn soul of his older sister, he had one other task to perform. He created another crystal as he teleported from the labyrinth, twirling it over his hands as he reappeared in front of Mercedes outside the crumbling structure. She held the baby to her as she stared at the place that had claimed her beloved Ofelia. She saw him and held the child tighter.

"Calm yourself, Mercedes. I am not here for the boy, I merely wish to bestow a gift upon him." The crystal stopped moving and in a flick of his wrist it became a red, leather bound book. There was no name to hint at the author, only a title, _Labyrinth_. He placed it inside the blanket, twisted his hands again and gave Mercedes a large bag. "Do not open that until I have left. Make sure the boy keeps the book with him, from him will come one very special young woman. Use my gift to you to take him from this place, take him somewhere safe." Still frozen with fear of the Goblin King, all Mercedes could do was nod mutely. Jareth smiled softly at her, touched the boys cheek with one long, gloved finger and vanished.

The boy was named Roberto and at the age of two, Mercedes took him to live in America, where she met and married Andrew Williams, a man who loved the boy so much he adopted him, giving the boy his name. When Roberto Williams was twenty-one, he married a woman named Linda, who persuaded him to change his name to Robert. When he was twenty-six, Linda Williams gave birth to a daughter, they named her Sarah and when she was ten, just after his divorce with her mother, Robert gave her a little book, one bound in red leather with no author, just a title, _Labyrinth_.

Fin.

_Little one shot for you. It was just begging to be done and I kind of had to turn it into an origin fic as well. I'm aware that Robert doesn't look like he's of Spanish descent, I don't really care either, call it creative prerogative. R&R_


End file.
